The professional highlight of 2019 for our team was how deeply we connected and bonded, how efficiently we are running as an office, and the growth of the company culture.  I am so proud watching my team grow together, and truly become a family.

Part of this bonding was centered around us all going to the Raymond James National Conference for Professional Development in Las Vegas.  We spent a week of full days learning and getting Continuing Education credits, night dinners and shows as a team with other advisors and vendors, and heard some amazing speakers from around the country.  I also was asked to give a Keynote presentation on “Finding and Branding Your Why” in which I shared how I got into the business, lessons my father taught me along the way, and my new philosophy of “Retire While You Work” that hopes to change the way this country views money and time.

This Summer I was asked to go to the Raymond James Chairman’s Council Retreat, in which 40 of the firm’s top advisors gathered with Executive Management to share ideas to help our practices and our clients grow and preserve wealth during this economic climate.  I am so thankful to be a part of this group where everyone is an open book and wanting to help each other grow, sharing their best ideas.  I walked away with some small tweaks to our practice that together, are taking us to the next level.  We also found out our office qualified for the 2020 Chairman’s Council, and were in the Top 40 out of 7,000 advisors in the country.

More exciting than any of that stuff was our Office Manager, Julie Schutt, welcoming in her baby boy Hugo to the world.  Julie enjoyed her 4 months at home to spend time with Jerad and Hugo, rest, and then feel ready to come back to the office.  We are so thankful for her healthy pregnancy and delivery and to have her back with us on a daily basis.  Also, I made baby Hugo an internship offer and Julie is currently reviewing the contract and terms and sharing with Hugo’s agent to see if he will accept…..more later on that.

As we wind down for the year, we tend to use the holiday season to be intentional with goal setting for 2020, as well as review all client accounts for ways to minimize taxes, rebalance portfolios, and get prepared for what is likely to be a roller coaster 2020 Election Year…and with the mention of politics, I’ll digress and simply say, Happy Holidays, we are so thankful for you and wish this season to be full of love and memories with your favorite people!